With the contest, volunteer attorneys visit 5th grade classrooms to talk about immigration and provide information about the competition. This year's judges included big names such as Randi Weingarten, the president of the America Federation for Teachers, and U.S. Senator Dan Inouye, a Democrat from Hawaii.

Maya Young Wong, a student at Castelar Elementary School in Altadena, Calif., based her winning poem on the life of her "Grandfather Ben," who died before she was born, but whose life was honored in stories told to Maya by her grandmother.

I like how the poem reflects Maya's understanding that her grandfather's life wasn't easy in the United States. When it came to jobs, "chances for Chinese were least to fewest," she says. After getting shot as a soldier in World War II, she writes, "He didn't win any fame or medals/Just came back home to wed and settle."

She concludes, "He loved America both good and bad."

For teachers looking for an assignment on immigration that will provide students with an authentic audience, next year's 'Celebrate America' contest might be the answer.

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